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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Edena_of_Neith" data-source="post: 3116923" data-attributes="member: 2020">I'm just trying to keep this thread as congenial as possible.  We have serious differences over Harry Potter, and we do not want an argument.  Just a discussion.  I've seen too many threads closed due to overheating and arguing.  A little courtesy and caution are in order, is all.  Harry Potter may or may not be gay.  If he turns out to be gay, and this is in the books (a lot of money says it won't be) then we can discuss it freely, no?  Think of it this way:  I am writing here, on ENWorld, knowing the real life equivalent of Professor McGonagall (but with far more intellect than McGonagall) is watching and reading everything I, and you, say.  Now in the books McGonagall could be pretty strict: would you cross her, or provoke her?  Or would you be quietly respectful?    Me, I'd be quietly respectful.  The last thing I want is a real life equivalent of a McGonagall temper fit thrown at me (anymore than Harry wanted 150 points taken from Gryffindor, plus detention, plus public humilation, plus the entire school turning on him, plus McGonagall's continued anger and outrage.)  Call that my ENWorld Philosophy.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />   It is dark because Rowlings chooses to focus on it.  Consider the plight of Neville Longbottom.  We know that Harry and his friends have the psychological strength to withstand the public humilation and public denunciation that they received from everyone in the school, after the 150 point + detention punishment received, right?  But what about Neville.  I do not honestly think Neville could have withstood this.  (although he can withstand it if Rowlings makes him withstand it, obviously.)  I think that someone like Neville would have cracked up.  He would have quit Hogwarts and gone home, probably right then.  Or just cracked up, been unable to continue his studies, and flunked out at the end of the year.  So, ask yourself this:  why didn't Neville go to Dumbledore?  He should have.  And if he would not, why didn't Harry go to Dumbledore and explain?  The incident was Hagrid's fault.  Hagrid choose to acquire the dragon.  Why should Neville pay for what Hagrid did?  Why should Neville be broken over Hagrid's illegal behavior?  Again, I do not think Neville could have survived what happened.  The author made him survive it.  I think honestly that he would have broken and quit, or flunked out.  Certainly, what happened did not help him with his studies or his grades!  All of this, because he want out afterhours to help some friends stay out of trouble?  Neville never knew what was going on.  He never knew anything about a dragon.  Where was Dumbledore.  This is what I call 'Dark.'  True enough, and true enough.  If McGonagall was up to the challenge, there would be no story.  This, however, is a flaw in itself:  why is she deputy headmistress if she is not 'up to it'?  Dumbledore would not appoint an incompetent as deputy.  I think Rowlings should have approached this from a different storyline.  Just my opinion.  (Quirrel incapacitated her?  Deluded her?  Sent her off on a wild goose chase?)   I don't question that children are mistreated.  They are, in spades.  Many are destroyed by this mistreatment.  Rowlings intended her books, I think, as an anthology to real life, so you would expect bullying and harshness in Harry Potter.  I just think she should not so empathize this, for lack of better terminology.  Yes, there is darkness, but there is also light.  Seems to me that, by the end of Book Six, the light has been stamped out.  Again, just my opinion, and none of us will know until Book Seven is released.  But if Harry turns out cynical, uncaring, and - worst of all - mundane, then the light is gone.  With it goes the special quality of this set of books, where friendship, loyalty, honor, courage, and the spirit of youth makes the good things happen.</blockquote>

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